Fading
by messisgirl
Summary: But, luck was with him- as much as it could be with a 13-year-old wizard who lacked any real training and was slowly losing his memories until he was nothing. Max was fading, along with his memories


**Hey. First ever WOWP story, so I decided to write about my favourite character, Max!! I wanted to show how he felt during the part that he goes with Jerry and Theresa until the beach scene. I hope I showed his agitation, while still capturing his fun personality through it all. The memory stuff was hard to do, so I didn't do much. Assume he's losing little bits all the way through.**

Max panicked as he ran through the thick undergrowth, barely registering that he had to wait for Jerry and Theresa because they were, as they had said many times before, not as young or as fast as him. His foot hit something and he fell, hands out in front of his face to save the unpleasant, but highly likely event of landing in something, well, something just not nice at all. But, luck was with him- as much as it _could _be with a 13-year-old wizard who lacked any real training (Man he _really _needed to start listening in class) and was slowly losing his memories until he was nothing. He lay there for a moment, trying _so hard_ to think of where he lived so he could wish he was back there wistfully.

Theresa emerged from the leaves behind him and then a red faced Jerry, who, seeing the opportunity, leant on the nearest tree as he trying to steady his legs, or his heartbeat- whichever came first. Tears crept into Max's eyes as he got up, and realised that these were the people who should be rushing over to him, helping him stand up while all the time saying "Maxie, are you okay?" and, right now, he'd just _kill_ for _just_ a cheek pinch from his mom. Right now, he'd kill for _anything_ for his mom. Jerry looked at the map again, and seemed to compare it with something in front of him. For the first time Max noticed the breathtaking mountains in front of him. "Well," remarked Jerry, still a little out of breath, but now able to stand unaided, "we're here!"

He walked down the cave; the lanterns were lit, but didn't do much use, barely showing up the wet path that held tracks of muddy footprints that his brother and sister left. Again, he sped up, spurred on by the thought that they were going to make it, that _he_ was going to make it and not just be nothing, someone who hadn't ever lived, (although, skipping school could be sweet) and the family was going to be their own, mixed up, barely held together mess at the end of all this.

But Theresa and Jerry had other ideas, and stopped to take in cave paintings and things Max wouldn't have noticed, even if he wasn't in a hurry if there hadn't been free Mets tickets sitting on a pedestal _right_ in front of them, or if his mom hadn't pulled him over by the shoulder and told him to 'at least pretend to be interested'—"Come _on_, you guys, we _need_ to hurry!" He practically begged, in a voice that was an octave too high and way to close to breaking to be his own when he heard Justin and his sister scream. His heart stopped. He vaguely remembered Jerry saying something about people dying trying to get this stone. What if these two had become the latest additions to the list? He took one; fast look at Jerry and Theresa who were getting ready to go and sprinted down the cave, ready to fight the dragon or whatever big, terrible beast had _dared_ to _touch_ his family. He skidded to a stop and looked left and right; he had run right past wherever he was trying to get to in a blind rage and had to backtrack, finding the right entrance just as Jerry and Theresa were deliberating whether or not to go in.

Max never liked that parrot. Even in the magic show, when all it did was try to pick the right card and seem to glare at him and his family. Now, it had taken away their only lifeline. The lifeline his brother and sister risked their lives to get. He felt that uneasy pain that had been there since the spell intensify, and here he was, powerless to stop it doing so, stop his stomach turning and his heart picking up a good few extra beats per minute. This was probably a good thing, so the old ticker could get a few more pumps in these last few minutes, because that's what he had. Minutes.

Max had always planned to blow the other two (?-he really wasn't sure anymore) away, buy winning the fight and keeping the powers (even though he wasn't even kidding _himself_-and _that_ showed how just hopeless it really was) But, he really didn't have time now. No time to wait for the contest with these....friends? He really didn't know who they were, and they were all looking at him like, like he was crazy. He wasn't crazy, he was Max...Max.., well, anyway he was Max and these were total strangers, but he _couldn't_ think of one person's name who he _knew_, who _wasn't_ a stranger _and who could help him_. Now. 'Cause that's all he had left and pretty soon, pretty soon he'd have _nothing._

But Max Russo _was_ nothing.


End file.
